The Hill News

Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. (R) criticized rival Republican presidential candidate businessman Herman Cain's 9-9-9 plan, calling it a 'nonstarter' in Congress.

"Number one, I think it's basically a nonstarter in Congress," Huntsman said Tuesday on the Jeff Katz Show. "And if you've got a program that's going to die the minute it gets to Congress, why begin the journey? It makes for a good soundbite but I like to think in terms of practical reality here. What does it actually do for the American people?"

Cain's 9-9-9 plan calls for a national 9 percent sales tax, 9 percent income tax and 9 percent corporate tax. The proposal appears to appeal to Republican primary voters. Recent polling has shown Cain as either the frontrunner or near frontrunner in the Republican primary.

Huntsman said that the goal not to radically change the tax code. 

"We don't want to radically remake the tax code but you've got to deal with the fra! mework that we have," Huntsman said.

Huntsman said that his tax plane, which phases out tax loopholes and deductions as well as corporate welfare and subsides, is better because it would not be dead on arrival in Congress.

"I'd like to say that that's the kind of thing that the country needs to get its arms around because it is actually doable. It won't be jettisoned from Congress the minute it lands there," Huntsman said.